McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, was confirmed by the US Senate to be the next Secretary of Education last month.
Linda McMahon confirmed by Senate for Education secretary
The Senate confirmed GOP donor and former wrestling executive Linda McMahon to head the Department of Education with a 51-45 vote.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon may have had a juicy steak in mind while speaking at a panel earlier this week because she confused artificial intelligence, also known as AI, with A.1. Sauce.
McMahon, 76, made the mix-up on Tuesday while speaking at the ASU+GSV Summit, an event focusing on educational innovation. The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) initially referred to the acronym for artificial intelligence correctly, saying, “You know, AI development – I mean, how can we educate at the speed of light if we don’t have the best technology around to do that?”
Things got sticky as McMahon’s speech continued: “A school system that’s going to start making sure that first graders, or even pre-Ks, have A1 teaching in every year. That’s a wonderful thing!”
“Kids are sponges. They just absorb everything,” she added. “It wasn’t all that long ago that it was, ‘We’re going to have internet in our schools!’ Now let’s see A1 and how can that be helpful.”
‘Every school should have access to A.1.’
A.1. Sauce even capitalized on McMahon’s blunder by posting an Instagram post on their verified account saying, “You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1.”
“Agree, best to start them early,” the picture attached to the post reads.
Other Instagram users loved the response from the Kraft Heinz-owned brand. One user even commented, “I will be buying a bottle or two because of this post.”
People online have even joined in on poking fun at McMahon, with one X user saying, “Education Secretary Linda McMahon keeps referring to AI as A1 and talking about how it will help ‘students at all levels.’ But how can we get those kids to drink it? Linda added, ‘The smarter kids can move up to Thousand Island Dressing'”
USA TODAY contacted Kraft Heinz and the U.S. Department of Education on Saturday but has not received a response.
Senate confirmed McMahon after Trump’s nomination
The U.S. Senate confirmed McMahon to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education last month, a decision that came following President Donald Trump’s nomination.
Now in the role, the former wrestling industry executive faces the challenge of managing an agency Trump has said he wants “closed immediately.” Education Department staffers are already reeling from massive upheaval and layoffs, with more expected.
In February, the president told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants McMahon to “put herself out of a job.” The White House has been discussing steps in recent weeks to dismantle the Education Department, though only Congress can formally do away with a federal agency.
“Just because they want to do it doesn’t necessarily mean that they could do it,” Jon Fansmith, the assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, said during a meeting with college officials in February.
Contributing: Zachary Schermele/ USA TODAY